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Definition of muscle in English:

muscle

noun

1A band or bundle of fibrous tissue in a human or animal body that has the ability to contract, producing movement in or maintaining the position of parts of the body.

Muscles are formed of bands, sheets, or columns of elongated cells (or fibres) containing interlocking parallel arrays of the proteins actin and myosin. Projections on the myosin molecules respond to chemical signals by forming and reforming chemical bonds to the actin, so that the filaments move past each other and interlock more deeply. This converts chemical energy into the mechanical force of contraction, and also generates heat

‘the calf muscle’

mass noun‘the sheet of muscle between the abdomen and chest’

‘In this condition, muscle and fibrous tissues of the renal artery wall thicken and harden into rings.’

‘The processes that bring about movement of the voluntary muscles of the body start on the surface of the brain in an area called the motor cortex.’

‘Each time the calf and thigh muscles contract when walking, veins deep inside the leg are squeezed.’

‘The second group called sarcomas, arise from the substance of solid tissues such as muscle, bone, lymph glands, blood vessels and fibrous and other connective tissues.’

‘On physical examination, pain is present from the tip of the medial epicondyle to the pronator teres and flexor carpi radialis muscles.’

‘The silver of the cuffs that bind his hands together behind his back glint as they muscle him down in the direction of the street below, where many sprawling police cars have gathered.’

‘It moves by rolling, log-style, or by lifting its head or tail, inchworm-like, and muscling itself forward.’

‘He was a young kid, and now they were going to muscle him out of there.’

‘A third-generation Marine, he lugged the same heavy pack, muscled the same kind of machine gun into his foxhole at night and took the same risks as any of the bigger men.’

‘His strength allows him to muscle shots even when he doesn't put the bat's sweet spot on the ball.’

‘The six-liter, 325-horsepower turbo diesel engine can muscle you up loose inclines and keep you in the passing lane.’

1.1Coerce by violence or by economic or political pressure.

‘he was eventually muscled out of the market’

‘And Labour MPs have not just muscled this off the agenda in the run-up to the General Election expected next summer only to see it reappear in the autumn.’

‘He suffered the further indignity of almost being muscled out of the party by executives who wanted to strip him of his riding nomination.’

‘I was driving to work one morning recently when a gentleman in a big Sports Utility Vehicle barreled down on me from a side street and muscled his way into the line of morning traffic.’

‘The government also seem to have muscled out the UN in the reconstruction programme.’

‘We see it every day on our way to work, a street scene replicated city-wide: white-collar execs hailing taxis on every street corner, muscling others out of the way for the comfort of air-conditioned interiors.’

Phrases

not move a muscle

Not move at all.

‘the driver shouted in his ear, but he did not move a muscle’

‘Gregory didn't move a muscle as this stranger approached them.’

‘She stood trembling slightly, but didn't move a muscle.’

‘I don't move a muscle, keeping my face completely unreadable.’

‘He didn't say anything and didn't move a muscle.’

‘In fact, he didn't move a muscle, though his mind was going a mile a minute.’

‘Caroline didn't move a muscle, but processed this information carefully.’

‘Her wild curls whip around her face, but she doesn't move a muscle.’

‘She didn't move a muscle, except for the slight spasm in her hand.’

‘Ricky didn't move a muscle, but inside he felt so sick.’

‘In any case, he didn't move a muscle - indeed, he appeared uncharacteristically calm - as I advanced slowly but steadily in his direction.’

Phrasal Verbs

muscle in/into

Use one's power or influence to interfere with or become involved in (another's affairs)

‘the banks' attempts to muscle in on the insurance business’

‘However, supermarkets have been muscling in on the market too, stocking a range of foodstuffs - importantly bringing the notion of Fairtrade to a wider audience.’

‘The superiority lasted only until the ninth minute, when Makel muscled into the script.’

‘Foreign distillers are muscling in on a bubbling domestic market’

‘The Strathclyde source also revealed his associates have been trying to muscle into the drugs trade in Edinburgh and Glasgow.’

‘Haven't the judges done enough harm already by muscling in on the political arena?’

‘That could mean new launches will find it harder to muscle into the territory without deep pockets.’

‘Now they want to make your phone ring, and are muscling into the lucrative mobile market.’

‘The nuclear energy industry is also muscling in on this one.’

‘It has muscled into this market and has grown to a reasonable size.’

‘Somehow this company muscling into our market was never going to take off.’

‘Was this Kelley's way of getting back at me for muscling in on his life?’

‘A new budget hotel chain has muscled into the market there with a somewhat spurious name.’

‘But if you were running a commercial legal practice, in addition to this heightened conservatism you'd hardly welcome qualified social workers muscling into family law practices.’

‘But even though the stamp conference was attracting greater numbers, it was the politicians who appeared to be muscling in on the stamp collectors' space.’

‘In addition, detectives were probing allegations that members of paramilitary organisations were muscling in on the industry.’

‘There was a guy that I went to college with who ran the Fair, so we kinda muscled our way in.’

‘I also thought that, as a gay man, I represented the minority of the ‘at risk’ group, and therefore I would be muscling my way in on something that should really be someone else's issue.’

‘Hedge-fund managers are now muscling in on traditional managers of pension funds and other pools of capital.’

‘But other criminal elements are muscling in on the business, including 10-year-old boys who have astounded the authorities with their audacity.’